Why's it down there?

Some people just weren't meant to do some things.

My god, could this actually work? If I have got things sorted out you will see above the knitting I did using my own ahndspun bits of sheep all washed and lovely and no longer smelling farm-like.

Woe is me, cursed by the photo fairy

Thanks for your kind words about business plans and photos. I seem to be just completely unable to get the Hello software working again. Curses as I have rather a nice bit of cabling to show off AND the results of my spinning course and the handweavers studio which was awesome (word of the week). But man, sheep smell....

So spinning was excellent and knitting is going well at the moment. I just got my copy of 'Patchwork Knitting' in the post from Dianne's Knitting Yarns and am going to pore over that tonight. Missed knitting group last night as I was too tired from watching the wrestling in Birmingham! www.wwe.com - John Cena is the greatest.

Dude, bigger problem

Not only have I neglected my blog all this time but I have now lost the ability to post pictures to it. Naturally I am not going to concentrate on things that have gone wrong recently but my god, just as well I don't believe in one otherwise I'd think they were giving me a sign to massacre all Lloydsbank employees and computer manufacturers.

The saddest thing about this whole picture dearth is that I have started and finished the world reknown 'clapotis' in the uraguayan chunky stuff I got from hipknits. They are having a clear out to make room for new stock which sounds very enticing. I am so broke this month though, and going to have to reign in a bit. The cost of moving I guess.

However, I am making plans to spend money at www.woolfest.co.uk. I have this spinning course in two weeks so as long as I like that I'm renting a car and staying in this georgian place near cocklemouth.

Oooooo I'm in such a bad mood. Partly because I just bought this stash sorting software for my ipaq and can't get it to work... http://www.nancysknitknacks.com/pocket_pc.htm I have been emailing a nice man called Robert somwhere in america for two days now and it still won't go. And I'm tired, and I still haven't ripped that sari silk that I couldn't post a picture of anyway and and and....Ooooooo.

My business plans are going along nicely. I have done a load of market research by sending out questionnaires to plucky volunteers from the UKHK group so have now got a ton of stuff to analyse. I keep wondering whether it will work though, and whether it will be worth the hassle of the extra work. I really shouldn't think about this when I'm in such a stinky mood though!

Will have another go at sweet talking amir into installing the hello software for me. Actually, hell. I'm just going home. I give up.

Dude, problem

Ok, look at this. I have been knitting this top in recycled sari silk and it is WAY too big. Too wide I mean. Now I should rip it and start again....but....ok, I know I have to rip it, I just have to be brave.

The other problem I have is that I've lost my 2 needle sock pattern in the move, and I just got my regia yarn in the post yesterday.

On the plus side this has forced me to finish the shrug thing, or start to finish it. Had to rip the top of the second sleeve as I had declined too fast. After this just need to sew it in and thank cadburys it will be finished. Can finally wear it!

Business, pills and polls

This is it, I am actually going to properly start up my own business. Trudie from HipKnits has been really helpful with advice and I have scoured barclays and the prince's trust for guidance. Seems because I am under 30 I might be able to get some money from them to help start up. The figure I have in my head to start with is £1000 but I need to do the business plan properly to get this really sorted.

Saw Dr P this morning and he wants me to stay on the anti-d's for another year...rather longer than I was hoping. I just keep forgetting how ill I was I guess. I don't have to stay on the high dose though - I can half it by cutting one pill a week for 7 weeks. Just as well my diary is now in this ipaq as otherwise I would confuse myself about how many to take when.

I did a poll on UKHandKnitters to see what dress size people were and have found about 40% are between 14-22. Now that is useful information to have, especially with the business plan coming together. There was another poll asking how much time you spend knitting a day and I'm definitely in a minority with about one measley hour a day! Guess that explains why I don't have a picture to post today.

Started reading this amazing blog last night called http://freddyknits.blogspot.com/ That woman is cool, and the bag is amazing. I want to make a mitred bag now.

Moved, thank god

As ever, moving was a hassle although it went very well all things considetred. Pooch kicked up big time over the amount of stuff I had but it is all now unpacked and put away so he has stopped bleating. I do now have a proper stash cupboard, picture to follow.

I had started trying to knit celeste from Rowan mag but had to frog it FIVE times. Amazed the calmer withstood the abuse. Just couldn't get the pattern to work out once it went into purl 2 tog tbl. Need to look that one up. Instead I have done the sleeves. Sleeves first - what a revolutionary idea. Although I have just read on UKHandKnitters that someone else does that all the time!

Was caught up in a burst of creativity at the weekend as well so have designed a top to be done in sari silk yarn based on a designer dress in 'Knitting in Fashion' which is a book I just love. This it is by Yohimoto but have probably spelt that wrong. Will post a pic as soon as I have finished the front.

What a mess! Am a sucker for tryig out odd balls of this and that. One day I'll knit a big blanket out of the scraps. 

Moving day cometh

Have nicely timed a strained back to coincide with moving. Is rather inhibiting my packing but hopefully it will loosen up today so I can finish tomorrow afternoon.

I have decided to start Elspeth on p.39 of the latest Rowan mag. I have some calmer left over in a really nice red shade that I got in the John Lewis sale at Xmas and it is just enough to do it. I do like these little bolero things although I'll have to be careful what I wear them with. OK, actually that's not true. My thought was I'd have to be careful otherwise it might look like I have no waist and I don't want people to think I have no waist.

As you can tell, the psychological reprogramming hasn't moved on much in the last few days although at least now I recognise more when I am doing it.

My home business idea moves on - all I need (all!) is to find out about customs rates for importing stuff from America. Is proving difficult. I have emailed HM customs and excise but they have a 10 day turn around. Mind you, it's not like I haven't got stuff to keep me busy in the meantime.

Head screwer

I had a therapy session today and during it we worked out that I totally don't value anything I do/can do because of basically having a poo childhood and the only times I value things is when they are externally praised. So that would explain why I am actually quite happy about keeping a blog and have posted so many photos. I will have to reflect on how this effects my next kniting project. I mean, how do I know what I want to knit? How can I tell it's not just wanting to knit something others will like? What could I knit that would just make me happy, and not anyone else? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick? Can you find happiness in knitting, or should I just have another muffin?

Poo poo poo. Knitted poo. Almost crocheted poo.

And whatever you do, don't answer these questions. It'll only make it worse if someone indicates their approval of a certain path...

Ahhhhh. Baby socks.  

Yuk. Only til Friday though, then I get to stack the boxes in a new location.  

Pink makes a come back and packing it all up - a scene of devestation

Actually I did go back to pink pretty quickly. These tiny socks are from the same pattern and in the same wool as the others but are for Luke's as yet unborn baby.

I move house on Friday and have found my stash, which basically didn't exist in December, now fills FOUR boxes. Pooch likely to be sarcastic about this. I am in two minds about what to do as at the moment 3 of the boxes are the see through plastic ones. I could...

1. Put them in cardboard boxes and mislabel them and enter into a life of deceipt and treachery, hiding it wherever I can.
2. Prepare myself for a life where whenever I complain about Pooch's ever growing stack of programming books he will counter with sniffy comments about my stash.

I think it's going to have to be 2. You just can't hide much in a two bedroom flat. Not that that's my reason of course. My reason is that I can not start living with the man I intend to make my first husband while also fibing massively about the true boundaries of my obsession.

Frilled edging all done and sleeve in place. Got the frill by knitting either 2 or 3 stitches into every one on thye last row then casting off.  

Just to prove I can use colours other than pink

I have been working on this bolero (I hate that word, I call it a shrug even though it isn't) for what seems like an eternity but is really only since the end of Feb or so. I am so near to finishing it! At the knitflick at the Ritzy on Saturday (The Life Aquatic - I loved it. Highly recommended) I did some more of the ribbing along the left edging. Then on Sunday I stitched up the sides, finished the back ribbing (hate knitting with circs so did it in three straight sections then stitched them together) and put one of the sleeves in. How happy am I? I have done the other sleeve, I just need to put it in.

Still not quite sure

but what the hell, at least the pics are coming up now.

So here is the finished bag and it hasn't left my side since it dried. It can carry so much and is really strong - yippee.

Also the socks for Narinder. I made the toe a bit pointier than the pattern suggested by doing an extra row of k2tog. I prefer them that way though. Have started the pair for Ash in blue worsted which I'm really not enjoying knitting with. Am knitting it double to get them over faster.

Have been wondering what to start next. Knitting when the weather is warm is a bit disheartening. I spent most of last summer knitting this white cotton top and it turned out too big and really nasty. I didn't even rip it - just sent it straight to the charity shop. I couldn't bear to look at it!

I really like the iva rose vintage knits that I ordered (http://www.ivarose.com/home) but need to check out the guage and likely sizes as the patterns don't give any - just the yarn you're supposed to use.

Narinder's socks - pretty in pink (hell, she chose it) 

The finished bag! Already full of unnecessary stuff... 

And the handle 

Unfelted bag in all its glory